At the busiest point of a vinyl set, a record’s sense of movement can be as important as its impact. BEFORE MIDI’s Invaders, Qu’est-ce que c’est? is aimed at that peak-time setting, with the late-’90s rave-house scene and the mood of an Ibiza night among its reference points. That combination puts the record in conversation with a particular club history while keeping its intended use in view. It is music made with the DJ booth in mind, but its starting point lies in live performance.
BEFORE MIDI brings together Viziale, a DJ and producer, and Barabbah, a multidisciplinary composer. The duo recorded the material live before rearranging it for peak-time vinyl play, a process that places performance and selection in the same frame. For a DJ, the distinction is useful: these recordings were not simply left as they happened, but shaped with their place in a set in mind. The late-’90s reference offers a way into the sound without making the record a period piece. What stands out is the tension between the immediacy of a live take and the deliberate arrangement needed to give it a role on the floor.
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